Degrees of truth
by McPenname
Summary: Abby is mad at McGee; believes he has lied to her and entire team since they met. Tim doesn't know why she thinks that. Can Gibbs get to the bottom of it before it goes too far and destroys the team? No pairings
1. Parts 1-5

Standard disclaimer applies; Not beta'd

No romantic pairings.

AU, mostly because I added some things to Tim's past [cuz I could :)], can't tell you without giving some things away (spoilers-LOL).

Parts 1-5, pretty much 5 conversations regarding Abby's issues, with different people.

* * *

"McGee!" Abby yelled, snatching the keyboard from him, "I can do that," she snapped.

"So can I," Tim stated, trying to remain calm, "And I'm available to do it now, unlike you who has other evidence you need to focus on at the moment."

"It'll only be a few minutes, then I will get to it."

"Abby, just let me do it."

"No."

"Abby."

"I said no. Now sit there like a good boy and don't touch anything," Abby ordered as she turned her attention to the other evidence.

Tim just stared at her for a few minutes before shaking his head, part of him unable to believe she was treating him like a child, or worse a dog. Since there was nothing for him to do down here, or rather, nothing Abby would _let_ him do, there was no reason for him to stay. After all, NCIS didn't pay him to sit and watch Abby work.

Knowing Gibbs would want answers sooner rather than late, Tim racked his brain to come up with another possible way to get those answers, especially since Gibbs wouldn't want or even listen to any excuses.

 **2**

"Anything, McGee?" Gibbs asked when the older man caught sight of him.

"Negative, Boss."

"Then why aren't you downstairs still working on it?"

Still? Tim had to hold back from snorting. "Abby's computer isn't available to me at this time," he stated, knowing it wasn't worth explaining the truth about Abby's mood. "But," he rushed to explain, before Gibbs could ask more questions or say anything else, "I think I might know another way to track the information down."

Gibbs nodded, "Then get to it."

"Yes, boss," Tim said as he opened up his email and got to work.

Half an hour later, after brainstorming with a former professor and discovering that Abby hadn't started searching yet, Tim approached Gibbs with a few forms that needed his signature in order for McGee to have access to the necessary equipment and files.

"And this will get me answers?" Gibbs asked, as he read the papers, even though he didn't understand most of them.

"It should," Tim responded, continuing when Gibbs glared at him. "I'm not going to promise you anything. If the answers are there, this should get them for me. If there is something else you need me to do instead, just tell me. We can hold this off until we learn what Abby can uncover."

Gibbs eyed his suspiciously, "And why couldn't you do this how you normally would? In Abby's lab, on her computer?"

"It's unavailable."

"Why?" Gibbs asked, continuing to stare at him.

"You'll have to ask Abby that," Tim responded, determined not to turn away from that glare.

After a few moments with neither of them looking away or speaking, Gibbs nodded, signed the papers and returned them to McGee, who immediately grabbed them and turned to leave.

"McGee!" Gibbs called, causing Tim to turn around. "Let me know as soon as you get something. If it doesn't look promising, don't waste time on it."

Tim nodded before exiting the bullpen.

"What was that about?" Tony asked.

"Have to ask Abby," Gibbs replied dryly.

 **3**

"What did you do?"

Tim blinked at Tony standing in front of his desk, arms on his hips, glaring at him.

"What?"

"What did you do to Abby?" he asked again. "I've never seen her so mad. You might want to watch your back, she might follow through on her threat to kill and leave no forensic evidence behind."

"I…nothing," Tim vowed, answering his question.

Tony snorted, "That's not what she says. You'd best own up to it and apologize."

"But I didn't _do_ anything," he protested.

"Doesn't matter," Tony commented, "There'll be no peace until you admit you were wrong."

Tim glared at the older agent, "I don't know what I did."

"Then you best figure it out, for all our sakes," Tony threatened.

Tim sighed before standing up and heading back downstairs to the lab.

 **4**

"Hey, boss," Tony said, slipping into the elevator before the doors closed.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs returned. "You got something?"

"Ah, on the case, no," he admitted, before hitting a switch to stop the elevator.

Gibbs looked between his Senior Agent and the switch. "What's going on?" he asked, sipping his coffee.

"Probie and Abby," Tony began.

Gibbs shook his head, "If they've started dating again, I don't want to hear about it."

Tony shook his head, "I don't think you have to worry about that."

Gibbs gave him and inquiring look.

"Abby's upset at McGee."

"Not my business," Gibbs replied, reaching for the elevator switch.

"No," Tony stated firmly, blocking the switch from the older man's hand. "I mean _really_ upset. Kill and leave no forensic evidence behind kind of upset."

Gibbs snorted, "She threatens that all the time," he reminded his agent, dismissing his words.

"Yeah, well, this time she didn't threaten it."

"Then what?"

"The target in the ballistic lab with his picture on it; How she spoke about him, saying that she didn't, couldn't work with him; didn't trust him; wanted to ban him from her lab; erase his existence from her life, get him out of NCIS."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed, "So help me, DiNozzo, if this is one of your pranks…"

"It's not, I swear," Tony vowed. "Something is going on, but she wouldn't tell me anything else. I asked McGee, but he seemed clueless to the fact that she was mad, let alone the reason why. He said he hadn't done anything.

"Boss, I really don't want to break in a new Probie," Tony added, his eyes pleading with Gibbs to fix this.

 **5**

"Abby?" he questioned after knocking on the door.

"Oh, it's you," she stated coldly, quickly turning away form him and back to the computer.

He remained silent, watching her work, "Find anything yet?"

"No."

Tim frowned at the monosyllabic and abrupt response. That was really unlike Abby.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No."

His frowned deepened, "I don't believe you."

She turned and glared at him. " _I'm_ not the liar here," she replied harshly. "And I'm not mad. I'm pissed."

"At me?" he asked incredulously.

She swirled and glared at him again before once more turning back to her computer.

"Oh, for," Tim began then cut himself off. Yelling at Abby wouldn't get them anywhere. "I don't know why you're mad, er, pissed at me," he corrected when she looked at him. "Can you please just tell me so we can figure this out?"

Silence was the only response he received.

"Would you at least let me work with you on that so we can solve this case?" he asked, addressing her back.

"Sorry," she said, momentarily causing the tension in Tim's shoulders to ease. At least until her next words penetrated, "I only work with people I trust, you do not qualify, Mister I have so many degrees."

"I…what?" a dumbfounded Tim asked, only to be ignored by the scientist. "Abby?"

"Abby…C'mon, tell me what's going on?"

"If you're so _smart_ , you should be able to figure out the _truth_ yourself," she snapped.

"I…I…" Tim stuttered looking at Abby, who once more pretended he wasn't there. With a sigh he returned to the bullpen. Hopefully Abby will calm down and they can discuss this misunderstanding in a few hours.

* * *

6-2-18

Let me know what you think, if you have any suspicions or ideas. Next part should be up soon. I believe it is in 13 parts (including a brief epilogue). I plan on posting it as 4 chapters, at this moment.


	2. Parts 6-10

Standard Disclaimer still applies; not Beta'd

This story ended up being a bit longer than I originally intended...I loved the reviews and feedback I got from it, so Thank you!

* * *

 **6**

"What you got, Abs?"

"Nothing yet," she admitted. "Major Mass Spec is still running samples and I'm working on tracking the computer info now."

He nodded, "McGee said your computer wasn't available earlier."

"How like him to whine and complain when he doesn't get a chance to show off his MIT degrees," Abby huffed.

Gibbs looked at her, unable to hide the surprise he felt at he words and tone, even with the warning he got from Tony. The McGee he knew wasn't like that at all. What was even more surprising was that this was Abby, McGee's self-proclaimed best friend saying that.

"McGee didn't complain," he felt honor bound to defend his agent, even to one of his favorite people. "He just said that it wasn't available when I asked if he had anything on it yet."

"Oh," Abby stated softly.

"Abs?" he questioned, even more concerned at her quietness.

"It was unavailable to him," she admitted

"Just him?" he asked, looking directly into her eyes. "Why?"

"Because I can track down that information just as well as he could," Abby declared. "He might have all those fancy degrees, but _I'm_ the forensic scientist and this is my lab."

"Abby,"

"I'm telling"

"Abby."

"you he sh-"

Gibbs' sharp whistle made Abby pause and look at him. "Gibbs?"

"Abby, I don't know what's going on between the two of you and frankly, I don't care. The two of you don't have to always get along, but you do need to be professional. Keep your private life out of the office and _never_ let it interfere with a case again," Gibbs ordered, before turning and storming out of the lab, leaving Abby standing in the midst of her lab.

"But it's not part of my private life and it involves the office," she muttered once she overcame her shock of having Gibbs yell at her.

 **7**

"Boss, I got something," Tim called later that night. As usual when working on a tough case, everyone was burning the midnight oil at the office.

"This from those forms I signed?" Gibbs asked. Tim nodded and then began explaining what he found, what he thinks it means, and what else they need.

"I don't know if Abby found anything to support it," Tim concluded, hoping Gibbs wouldn't send him down to check.

Gibbs smirked, as if he knew what his agent was thinking. After reviewing the new information, he sent Tony and Ziva to follow up on Tim's information while he turned to the only other agent in the room.

"What's going on, Tim?"

McGee startled at the rare use of his first name. "Um, just that," he said pointing to the screen. "Haven't found anything else," he admitted.

"I meant with you and Abby." Eyes narrowed as they looked at the younger agent, "Why didn't you tell me about Abby?"

Tim shrugged and looked away, "Nothing to tell."

Gibbs' hand twitched as if longing to reach out and slap something. Clenching it into a fist, he asked, "And her computer being unavailable."

Another shrug, "I had no idea what the problem was," he admitted. "I didn't even know that she was mad at me until Tony mentioned it. Hell, I still don't know _why._ "

Gibbs was slightly shocked at his agent's language, especially since they were in the office. "Figure it out and set things straight. I never want to hear of something personal interfering with a case again."

Tim snorted.

"You got something to say?"

Tim looked up and met his gaze, _"I'm_ not the one with the issue. I even asked her if we could put whatever it was aside to figure out this case, all she said was that she didn't trust me," Tim stated morosely, before standing up and adding, "But since you won't take my word for it, I'll head down and see what she has."

 **8**

"Abby," Tim asked, knocking on the lab door.

"You again," Abby stated, before muttered, "I knew I should have closed the door."

"Gibbs wants to know what ya got," Tim responded, ignoring the slight and entering the lab.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, "I didn't say you could enter," she huffed.

"Really, Abby?" Tim asked, as remained in the doorway, "Can you just tell me what you found so we can close this case?"

"I could," she replied smirking, "If I trusted you."

"Abs,"

"Miss Sciuto to you, I'm only Abby or Abs to my _trusted_ friends."

Tim exhaled, he really didn't need this. "Just tell me what you have."

"Nope. This is sensitive information pertaining to a case, it wouldn't do to inform a liar about it."

"Are you ever going to tell me what's going on?"

"With the case, nope."

"With why you are so ma-pissed at me," Tim corrected.

"I told you, you're smart enough to figure it out."

Tim stared at her, knowing that she was stubborn enough not to give in, usually he was as well, but in this case, well, the case had to come first. Not to mention that he was getting a bit fed up with Abby's attitudes. With a sigh, he turned around and left heading to the elevator, not noticing the slightly opened stairwell door. Once in the elevator, he punched the button for the lobby and picked up his phone to call Gibbs.

 _"Gibbs"_

"Hey, um, Abby wants to see you to tell you what she found."

 _"What did she tell you?"_

"She wants to show you herself," Tim evaded answering his question.

 _"Are you still down there?"_

"I…no, I'm gonna go get a coffee," Tim replied, really needing one after the confrontation with Abby, Miss Sciuto, his mind corrected.

 _"Okay. Get back to the bullpen as soon as you can, Tony and Ziva might have more information."_

"Right, Bo-" Tim started to reply, only realize Gibbs had hung up on him.

 **9**

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" Abby cried, as the older man walked through her lab doors.

"Abs."

"Found something," she smiled at him, launching into an explanation.

"Uh huh," Her silver fox nodded.

She frowned, "No questions?" she asked in surprise.

Gibbs shook his head, "Nope. What you found supports what McGee discovered."

"What did McGee discover and how?" she asked, eyes narrowing, answering before Gibbs had a chance to reply, "Let me guess, Mr. MIT used one of his many degrees to find out the answer."

" _McGee_ did his job," Gibbs replied, implying that some people hadn't, "and used other methods when your computer was _unavailable_ to him _._

"What's going on, Abby?" he asked.

"Nothing, just protecting my lab, evidence, and clues as usual."

"From McGee? I thought you trusted him."

"I did, when he trusted me, or rather, when I _thought_ he trusted me. We were _friends_ before he joined the team, he should have told me. But he didn't, so I don't, can't trust him, not since I found out he's been lying to me, to us all this time."

"McGee lied?" Gibbs questioned in shock.

"From the day we met him," Abby confirmed sharply.

"About what?" the older man asked before holding up a hand to prevent her from answering. "No, don't tell me, I'll ask him," he said as he headed towards the door.

Abby snorted, "If he hasn't said anything all this time, why would he admit to a federal offense now?"

Her words had the desired effect of stopping Gibbs in his tracks, "Federal offense?" he repeated, turning to face the scientist.

Abby smirked and nodded. When Gibbs continued to the lab door, Abby followed, firmly closing the door behind him.

What could McGee have lied about that not only had Abby so upset, but could also be considered a crime?

 **10**

"You know she's really pissed at you, right?" After Gibbs finished talking with Abby, he decided he too needed a coffee. By the time he returned to the office, Tony and Ziva had returned with additional information. Gibbs knew it wouldn't be long before the case really heated up. This meant he hadn't had any opportunity to discuss the situation with Tim, until now.

"I...what?" Tim asked, groaning that Gibbs is now even more involved. "I told you I found that out earlier from Tony. She hasn't said anything to me other than the fact that she's not mad, she's pissed. Did she tell you why?" came the perplexed reply from the younger agent.

Gibbs stared at McGee before looking around the bullpen. "With me," he said, heading down the hall to a conference room. Tim followed behind him, hesitantly entering the room.

"Boss?" a soft, hesitant voice spoke the worried words.

"She's convinced you lied to her, to all of us since the day we met."

Tim frowned, "Lied about what?"

"Didn't tell me, figured I'd get it from you."

Tim was confounded, "I can't think of anything I lied about, especially not since the day we met."

Gibbs eyes him suspiciously, "She stated that it was a federal offense as well."

"I…what? No, boss. I would never," Tim protested, hoping his boss would know he was innocent. "I definitely don't know what she's referring to," Tim closed his eyes, what was going on. Did he upset Abby in some way and this was her twisted idea of revenge?

Gibbs nodded and gestured for McGee to sit, "She seemed especially upset because of the relationship the two of you shared before you joined the team. Could it be something personal like that?"

Tim shrugged, "I don't see how. She knows practically everything from my past. I told her about my past relationships, I didn't lie about anything."

"No marriages or engagements? Intimate relationships that might have resulted in progeny?"

"No!" Tim denied vehemently. "There's no way I could hide the fact that I had a child from you guys. No marriages or engagements, either," he added, before pointing out, "And if there was, that wouldn't be considered a crime."

Gibbs snorted, he was proof of the last point.

"Besides, how could that be considered lying to the team? To all of you?"

"Hmm," the older man mentally reviewed his conversations with Abby, "She also seemed upset about MIT."

Tim sighed, "She always is," he admitted. "And I admit that I'm proud that I went there and graduated with the GPA and degrees I did, especially at such a young age."

"Degrees?"

Tim blinked, "Well, yeah, Bachelors in Computer Programming and Masters in Computer Forensics."

"Thought it was just the master in computer forensics," came the surprised response.

"Uh, no. I wanted a degree in Computer Forensics, and thought it would be best to get a Master's in that," he paused and shrugged as he explained. "I could've gone straight into the Master's program, but decided that obtaining a bachelor's from them in Computer Programming couldn't hurt. I mean, who wouldn't want to take extra computer classes at MIT?" a gushing Tim explained to an amused Gibbs. "I figured it would also help me with the Masters and a job here at NCIS."

"Could that be what she's talking about?"

Tim frowned, "Shouldn't be. She knows that I have two bachelors and masters degrees."

Gibbs frowned, as he reviewed what Tim had just said, what he meant, "Two bachelors _and_ _a_ masters degree?

This time it was Tim that frowned, as he corrected, "Er, no, two bachelors and two masters."

With a sigh Gibbs asked, "John Hopkins?"

"Yes," Tim confirmed, rushing to explain. "I received both a bachelor's and master's degrees from them as well, but in Biomedical Engineering."

Gibbs looked at him, trying to keep the shock off his face, "You had two bachelors and two masters _before_ most people earn one?"

"Uh, well, yeah, maybe. I don't know," Tim hedged before admitting, "I was 23."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Boss?" the shocked boy responded sadly.

Gibbs stood and started pacing, "God, Tim, I knew you were smart, but this…You could be doing so much more than being Tony's patsy.

"This is what I wanted," Tim quietly admitted, "Working as a field agent for NCIS. I know I didn't have what it takes to go the regular route," at Gibb's inquiring gaze, Tim waved a hand towards him, "Marine, military background," then towards the door, "Secret Service, spy, Phys Ed major and Cop. No way would I be accepted with my geek background, but as a field agent, an investigator, it could, _does_ come in handy. Most of my education was done with this in mind. That's why I chose the majors I did, why I kept adding degrees. I wanted to be seen as invaluable to NCIS when I applied."

Gibbs sat back down and met his agent's gaze, "It worked," he stated calmly, dryly before the two fell silent.

"And Abby knows about these degrees?"

Tim nodded vigorously, "I _know_ she does. Um, I thought you did as well," he admitted.

Gibbs huffed, "Saw the Bachelors from John Hopkins and the Master's from MIT listed, didn't think there were more, so I didn't read the rest of your file. I like to judge people on what I see, not what I read," he explained. "Plus it's not often someone so young has more than that."

Tim inclined his head in understanding, "Um, Boss, I'm pretty sure most of the team doesn't know the extent of my education, so if you could not mention it…" Tim trailed off, knowing that his point was made and hopefully understood.

Gibbs nodded, hiding his smirk at that request, "And you're sure about Abby?"

"I'm sure," Came the confident reply. "I know that we've talked about them, plus their in my file, so yeah, she knows."

Eyes narrowed, "And how would Abby know what's in your file?"

"You're kidding, right?" Tim snorted, before noticing Gibbs' glare. "Oh, you're not. Um, well, the one system I never hacked into, never needed to was NCIS. Abby does that routinely, especially after Vance separated all of us last year."

"And you never mentioned this before now," he stated, glare not diminishing.

"Would it have mattered? Abby does what Abby wants to. Yes, you might've been able to rein her in, but she would just make sure no one else knew about her habits and hobbies."

Gibbs just shook his head and left the conference room.

Tim watched him leave before standing up to follow suit, "Guess we're done," he snorted.

* * *

Yeah, so this last bit is where I added to McGee's history/education. Below is the timetable I used/created.

September 13, 1978: born (From an NCIS fansite)

September 1994-June 1998 Attended John Hopkins full time at 16 (took some classes their while still in HS); received BS & Masters in Biomed Engineering (the bachelor's degree is cannon, I'm still kinda wondering why he chose that)

September 1998-December 2001, Attended MIT, received BS in Computer Programming; Masters in Computer Forensics (I know he didn't necessarily need the Bachelors, but come on, can you see him _not_ taking all the computer classes he could at MIT or earning another bachelors from them?)

I know, it's a tight time table, but I earned by bachelors in 3.5 years (no summer classes or night classes and I usually worked 2 part time jobs during the school year) including one semester as a student teacher, and I am no where as smart as Tim. I also know that if you ask, you can 'test' out of some classes. I think McGee would take advantage of this, why sit in boring classes if you already know the material from a previous class? Also, if you have advisor's approval, you can take more than the standard 6 classes in a semester. And I'm sure Tim took classes during the summer, I mean, seriously, what else would he do, spend it at the beach? He seems pretty driven, eager to get out on his own.

6-5-18


	3. Degrees of Truth (parts 11-13)

**11**

While the case was ongoing, Gibbs did his best to ignore the situation between his agent and the scientist, hoping they would work it out themselves. He had talked with both, mostly because he learned that it delayed information on a case, but for the most part, had thought it had been a personal issue between the two, and with their past, figured it was none of his business, as long as it didn't interfere with a case again.

However, after receiving a call from Vance, he knew that was no longer an option. The friction between his agent and the Forensic Scientist must be significantly noticeable, since the director had mentioned it to him. It seemed that time had not eased the situation between the two, forcing him get even more involved.

It was now Friday afternoon, their suspect, and no, Tony, it wasn't the wife, had been arrested, and Gibbs was once more heading to the lab to get some answers.

Gibbs stared at the closed and locked door to Abby's lab; that alone was enough to remind him that something was seriously wrong.

"Abby's it's me," he called, knocking on the door.

"Who's with you?" she asked skeptically.

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "no one."

"And you're sure that treacherous liar isn't in proximity?"

"No one is around; they went home after their reports were finished. Now open the door," he stated firmly, turning the handle when a buzzing noise sounded.

He entered and watched her for a few minutes before taking some time to walk around the lab. The target in the ballistic area was set up just as Tony had said. He gave a sigh, apparently, Abby still hadn't resolved her issues with McGee.

"Abby, you and McGee need to get this settled, it's already been going on three days too many," he ordered her. "Vance is noticing it and is concerned. You have the weekend," he informed her. "Tell McGee what's bothering you or don't, your choice. Either way, on Monday, I expect you and your lab to be returned to normal and you to treat _all_ your coworkers professionally. No pictures as targets in the lab, no unnecessarily closed doors, no snide remarks, not sharing information or pretending someone isn't present," he concluded, listing just a few instances that he had observed from her the last few days. He then turned and exited her lab before she could reply, deliberately leaving the door open.

 **12**

Tim was the first one to arrive in Monday morning, well, the first one after Gibbs, at least. As soon as the younger man put his coffee and bag down, Gibbs called him into the elevator.

"Good weekend?"

"Uh, um," Tim stuttered, staring at the older agent in surprise, his boss usually wasn't one for small talk.

"Did Abby talk to you?"

"Ah, no, was she supposed to?" a confused Tim asked.

"I told her to get this resolved between the two of you."

Tim shrugged, "She probably figured that you would forget all about it come today," Tim admitted, settling into his desk.

The older man glared at him, "Are you implying that I have a short memory?"

"What? No!," he emphatically denied, "Just, well, Abby is probably counting on the fact that you can't stay mad at her for long or that you will take her side in this as usual, and turn a blind eye towards her antics."

Eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"

Tim shrugged, "Abby knows that you have her back."

" _You_ are my agent," Gibbs pointed out.

"Yeah, and you have my six in the field. Away from it," Tim trailed off with a shrug.

"What does that mean?" Gibbs growled.

Tim sighed and counted to ten to regain control of his thoughts and emotions. "Abby is your favorite, everyone knows that," Tim tried to explain, when Gibbs didn't respond, he added, "Last week you asked me why I didn't tell you about Abby preventing me from working on her compute-."

"Yeah, and you didn't really answer," Gibbs interrupted.

"That's what I mean. There was no right way to answer. You don't want excuses or explanations, understandable when we're working a case," Tim rushed to add. "But if I had told you what happened, you would've been upset with _me_ , because it involved her, even though I didn't do _anything wrong_."

Their eyes met in a locked gaze, neither one willing to break it off.

"Guess we'll never know," Gibbs finally answered a few minutes later, opening the doors and heading for the stairs.

Tim shook his head as he watched Gibbs leave. He was pretty sure the man was heading towards the lab to see Abby. "I'm pretty sure we all do," he mumbled as he returned to his desk, hoping that this wasn't going to end disastrously for him.

 **13**

Gibbs sighed as he knocked on the closed door, "Abs, it's me and I'm alone, now open up." It looks like Abby didn't follow orders this weekend, now he just had to figure out if it was because McGee was right. He sighed as he rethought that statement. He was already sure of the answer. The conversation he overheard between the two last week, as well as some of scientist's actions he had witnessed had definitely brought to view Abby's faults. It also shed a light on some of his own.

It had angered him that McGee thought he would've been blamed for Abby's actions. Actually, if he was being honest, what angered him was that Tim would've been correct about his reaction.

"Is that really necessary?" he asked, pointing to the sign on her door, after she buzzed him in.

"It's my lab."

"It's my team," he argued.

"And you deserve better than a liar on it," She informed him. "I'm just trying to bring it to light and protect you."

"Abby, what did he lie about?"

Abby remained silent, not meeting his gaze.

"Abby." Gibbs looked at her, hoping for a sign, something that would indicate to him that she was going to talk.

"I told you that this can't continue, I need you to be able to work with my team."

"I can work with our team just fine," she argued. "If, _when_ ," she corrected, "the liar is gone, there will not be a problem."

"Nothing can be done if I don't know what he did. I need to know what's going on."

"He lied."

"Abby, I need more than that."

Abby went to be silent, refusing to speak another word on the subject.

"Abby."

Again, no response, prompting Gibbs to take action.

"Fine, with me," Gibbs ordered, as he exited the lab, making a quick call on the way.

* * *

What is Gibbs up to now?

Will he support Abby as normal, or will he try to change?

Did Tim lie? If yes, then about what?

6-9-18


	4. Degrees of Truth (Part 14)

This is where I added/changed some more of Tim's past/history.

Standard disclaimer applies; not beta'd.

* * *

 **14**

"This is going to get settled now," Gibbs stated, once everyone was seated in the conference room, his glare focused on Abby. "No one is leaving until it is."

"Er, Boss," Tim spoke up hesitantly, "Does everyone need to be present?" he asked, looking at Ziva and Tony.

"Got something to hide, McGee?" Tony teased, causing Abby to snort in agreement.

Tim glared at first Tony then Abby before turning back to his fellow agent, "Since I don't know exactly what this is about, yeah, maybe."

"You know," Abby hissed angrily.

Tim threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "All I know is that I came into work one day last week and suddenly you were upset with me. You wouldn't let me use your computer to track down information regarding a case. You never even told me that you were mad at me. I had to hear it from _Tony._ You wouldn't tell me why or what it was about. I had to hear from Gibbs that you thought I lied to you and the entire team _since the day we met_ and that it was a federal offense. I-"

"Whoa, a federal offense? Really, Probie?" Tony asked before receiving a headslap.

"I wouldn't know, Tony," Tim answered with a glare at Abby, "Since I don't know what I supposedly lied about."

"With all your degrees, you should be smart enough to figure it out," Abby retorted.

"Ugh!" Tim cried, throwing his head down on the table. "Gibbs, this is getting us no where. If she can't work with me, fine. I'll ask for a transfer to another team or quit and take a job with another agency."

His announcement caused most of the room to remain silent in shock. McGee leave the team? Leave NCIS?

"Good luck doing that after you lied on your application here," Abby muttered almost inaudibly.

"What do you mean by that?" Ziva asked, sitting next to Abby, who had heard her words and repeated them to the group.

A puzzled Tim, along with the rest of the team watched her, waiting for an answer.

Tim stood up in frustration, "I'm done," he said.

"Sit down," Gibbs ordered, surprisingly not as harshly as one might expect. "Abby," he began only to be blocked when the brunette stubbornly shook her head. With a sigh, he turned to Tim "McGee, can you access your application?"

"Um, yeah, probably," he admitted, "Never tried before, I told you why," he said, darting a look towards Abby.

Abby snorted, "He probably covered it up with everything he learned at school when he got his _degrees_."

Gibbs sighed, as he picked up his phone, "Tony, run to HR and pick up the envelope for me. Do NOT open it," he ordered, as he exited the room, Tony a step ahead of him to follow his instructions.

A few moments later Tony returned and handed the envelope to Gibbs. Breaking the seal on it, he withdrew a thick folder, after rifling through it, he pulled out Tim's original application for NCIS and handed it to him.

"Is that your original application for NCIS?" Gibbs asked his agent

"Um,"

"It's not that hard of a question, Probie," Tony muttered.

Tim glared at him, "It's the last one I filled out," he stated, continuing when eyebrows rose in inquiry. "I applied before, a few years before I filled this one out," he admitted. "At the interview I was told that I need more experience and skills and to try again later."

Tony snickered at his admission, until Gibbs glared at him.

"How old were you then?"

"Er, I first applied in 1998." Tim admitted, blushing as he continued, "I got the feeling that they felt I was too young as well."

"And what did you do to gain some experience?"

Tim blushed, "The main thing I did was to go back to school to add to my degrees."

"Ha!" Abby shouted gleefully, everyone turning to her, their curiosity displayed on their faces. "Go on," she told Tim, waving her hand at him.

"As I told you, I knew I didn't have the typical background, nor would I succeed if I tried," he said, motioning to his fellow agents and giving what he knew of their background, as well as Kate's. "The best option for me was to use what I was good at as a way into the agency and career of my choice. The obvious answer was computers, so I applied to MIT. After obtaining those degrees, I reapplied to NCIS, I also had a couple of other things in the works in case I was rejected again."

The team remained silent as they thought about his words.

"Wait," Tony called out, leaning forward to stare at McGee. "You said _degrees_."

Abby smiled triumphantly.

Tim nodded. "Er, yeah. When they didn't accept me I we-"

"No," Tony interrupted, glaring at Tim, "Before that. When you first applied and got rejected, you said you decided to add to your _degrees._ What degrees did you have at that point?"

"Oh, um, er, A Bachelor's and a Master's in Biomed Engineering."

"Before you were 20." Tony deadpanned.

"Er, yeah," he confirmed.

"And those are from John Hopkins, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Tim repeated, not sure where this was heading.

"Why?"

"What?" a puzzled Tim asked.

"Why did you choose that as a major? I mean, after you got those degrees, you applied to _NCIS_ , last I checked they didn't have a medical engineering department."

"Oh, well, I was young then," Tim began, trying to ignore the smirks and snickering at his opening comment. "I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to help people, and the biomed engineering field fascinated me. It was during my time at school that I remembered NCIS. I looked into it some more and realized that that was where I wanted to be, as a field agent."

Tony nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "And when they rejected you, that's when you went to MIT?"

Tim nodded.

Ziva took over at that point, "When you went back to school, what degrees did you get then? How long did it take?"

"A bachelors in computer programming and a Master's in computer forensics," he admitted.

"From MIT," Tony added.

"Yeah," Tim agreed, not looking at his teammates.

"And how old were you when you completed this application?" Gibbs asked, pointing to the one on the table.

"I…Does it matter?" he asked, Gibbs just shrugged in reply.

Tony held up a hand to signal Tim not to talk, "Wait, don't answer that. I might not have _four_ degrees, but let's see if I can do basic math."

"Tony," Tim sighed, this is one of the reasons why he didn't want his teammates to know about his education.

"Let's see, you were born in '78," he said, continuing when Tim nodded in confirmation. "You've been on this team for 5 years," another nod, though Tony knew this fact was true. "Worked in Norfolk for almost two years before that,"

"About two and a half," Tim corrected with a nod.

"So, you were, what, 23?"

"When exactly did you start at NCIS," Ziva asked, "And when did you fill out the application?"

"Honestly," Abby muttered, reaching over to snag his application. "It's dated," she explained. "Right there, see, 'December 20, 2001'."

Tony grabbed his application and flipped to the Education portion of it, Abby gleefully looking over his shoulder. "You listed that you already had both a bachelor's and a master's from MIT on this," he said, looking from Tim, to the application, to a happy Abby, eyes narrowing. "Is that what you lied about? Did you not have your master's yet and fudged on the app a bit?"

"NO!" Tim denied. "Honestly, I have no idea what Abby is talking about. I didn't lie on my application. Everything I wrote on there is true. I completed my masters in December of 2001. I then packed up my room in Boston and moved down here. One of the first things I did was resubmit an application to NCIS. I didn't hear back from them, so started thinking about other things I could do to make myself indispensable for them before I tried again. In the spring, they called to schedule an interview. I was relieved and nervous. Part of me was afraid that with my degrees being related to computers that they would stick me in an office and forget about me. I think my determination and resolve got them to take a chance on me and I started FLETC and got assigned to Norfolk."

"Are you sure it wasn't your _degrees_ that did that?" Abby sniped.

"Enough, Abby," Gibbs ordered. "Tim states that his app is truthful, tell us why you believe otherwise?"

"Did you ask him if it was complete?" she commented.

"Abby," he growled, finally losing patience with her.

Turning to Tim, Abby asked, 'Well? Is your application complete?"

Tim sat there with a puzzled look on his face, as he reviewed his application before looking up at Abby in confusion.

"Well, _Dr._ McGee?"

* * *

TIMELINE:

September 13, 1978: born

September 1994-June 1998 Attended John Hopkins full time at 16 (took some classes their while still in HS); received BS & Masters in Biomed Engineering (still kinda wondering why he chose that)

June 1998 Applied to NCIS right after graduation; rejected for lack of experience and youth (was 19 at the time) Decided to gain more skills to make himself look more impressive/valuable

September 1998-December 2001, better, Attended MIT, received BS in Computer Programming; Masters in Computer Forensics

December 2001-applied to NCIS for the second time.

January 2002-didn't hear back, applied to grad school, focused on criminology/criminal justice.

Spring 2002 finally had interview with NCIS, agreed to attend FLETC and work while pursuing doctorate

September 2003 met team for first time (Sub Rosa)

August 2004 earned doctorate degree (defended dissertation)

September 2004 joined team

Last week 2009: Abby found out about his Doctorate Degree

Today 2009: The rest of team is finding out.

* * *

Looks like Tim has a new nickname :)

6-13-18


	5. Degrees of Truth (Part 15)

**15**

 _"Well, Dr. McGee?"_

Abby's question seemed to echo in the small room.

Tim paled as he suddenly realized why Abby was so upset.

"Abs," he began.

"No! You cannot call me that. You lied. To me."

"I didn't really lie," he protested, turning red.

"You didn't tell me everything. A lie of omission is still a lie."

"Whoa," Tony called out, "What's going on? Did Tim just admit Abby is right to be mad at him?"

"Yes!"

"No."

"Am I the only one confused here?" Tony asked, looking towards a thoughtful Gibbs.

"Tim." Gibbs began, putting the pieces together. "Why don't you tell us what other things you had in the works when NCIS didn't contact you immediately for an interview."

Tim sighed, "I figured they probably thought I still didn't have the experience or skills to be a field agent, even though I had taken some supplemental classes regarding criminology and criminal justice. If you look on my application, under recreational activities I listed that I went to the local Y, where I participated in some defensive classes, as well as recreational wrestling to keep me active, to help me be in better shape."

"Tony," Gibbs hissed when the Senior agent started to snicker. 'Tim," he said, motioning for the younger man to get on with it.

"I…I fell back on my old reserve, my comfort zone," he admitted, continued when Gibbs coughed and gave him a pointed look to stop procrastinating. "I decided to go back to school, to learn about the multiple and various aspects of crimes. While my other degrees might, and have come in handy during the last five years, ultimately, a field agent investigates crimes. I wanted," Tim paused as he thought about it for a moment, "No, I felt I needed to add to my knowledge regarding crimes, criminals, and the law. I know that if I got the job and went to FLETC, a lot of this would be covered there as well, but I wanted more. I wanted to add to show that I had what it took to be a field agent. That I was serious about this."

Tony snickered, "What, trying to become a professional student? How many degrees does one guy need?" he commented before Gibbs issued another head slap.

"A doctorate," Ziva stated softly.

"Yeah," A blushing Tim admitted. "I figure if I got that in Criminal Justice or Criminology, well, NCIS couldn't ignore me then, right?"

"It's not on your application," Ziva observed.

Tim shrugged, "It wouldn't be. I completed that before I had the idea, remember? Not hearing back regarding the application is what made me want to pursue my doctorate."

"What happened at the interview?" Gibbs asked, trying to get them back on track.

"They apologized for the delay; stated that it took so long to respond first because of the holiday, and then because they were not sure if I would be a good fit, nor where," he admitted. "The newly expanded Cybercrimes unit was definitely an option, but I was adamant that I wanted to be a field agent, as noted on my app. They admitted that they had taken on potential agents with unusual backgrounds and little experience in the past, though some were leery to do so again. They asked about my plans if NCIS didn't work out, and I admitted that I had recently started Grad school to pursue a doctorate in hopes that my next application to NCIS wasn't rejected.

"The lead interviewer laughed," Tim stated softly, remembering how that had felt. "At that point I suspected that I was finished, even if I did obtain my doctorate. He then asked me to step out of the room for a moment while he talked with the others privately. I did so, the other candidates looking at me as I reentered the waiting room and just stood in front of the door. This hadn't occurred with any other applicant, at least not that day," Tim admitted. "I was debating whether I should cut my losses and just walk away when the door opened and they asked me to step back inside."

Tim fell silent as he remembered the conversation that followed that day.

"Obviously they did not, er, kick you to the curb," Ziva said, looking around to see who was going to correct her, when no one did, she smiled and looked to Tim, "What happened?"

Tim smiled back at her as he was brought out of his memories, "He asked if I thought I could attend FLETC, work, and pursue my doctorate at the same time. I was surprised, but eagerly said yes, assuming that the school would work with me around my schedule. He warned me that even with FLETC and the doctorate, I might not make it to field agent status. I didn't care, it was closer than I had been before. It was a chance, and that was all I wanted, I was determine to prove myself. He handed me the signed paperwork for FLETC, we shook hands, and I left."

Tony snorted, "No way does the story end there, Probie."

Ziva grinned, "Wouldn't that be _Dr._ Probie?"

Tony glared at her.

Tim shrugged and ignored the comment, "Not much more to add. I went through FLETC, got assigned to Norfolk and worked on my doctorate as much as I could during that time period."

"Why didn't you mention it?"

"It never came up," he said with a shrug. "No, seriously," he said, noticing their glares. "What did you expect me to say? Just announce that I'm working on my doctorate?"

"Yes." They all responded.

Tim snorted, "Yeah, I'm sure that would've gone over real well," he muttered defensively.

"Okay, maybe not when we first met, but later?"

"Just because I was working on it, didn't mean that I would earn it. A lot of people don't. After that first case we worked together I already knew enough about Tony to know that if I didn't succeed, he would mention it every time I saw him."

Tony looked away, not meeting his eyes, knowing that Tim's word were the truth.

Abby glared at Tim, "You didn't tell me and we were dating," she rebuked.

"I told you that I was taking classes, you didn't seem interested in them so I didn't say anything else," Tim explained.

"I, well, I didn't know you were going for your doctorate," she argued.

Tim snorted, "Whenever I mentioned my classes you always changed the subject, I took the hint and figured you didn't care."

Abby huffed, but didn't say another word.

By now the rest of the team had some time to think about the situation. "Why didn't you tell us when you got it? Surely you needed time off for the graduation ceremony, or even to defend your dissertation."

"It didn't matter," Tim informed them.

"Of course, it mattered," Gibbs argued. "It's a great accomplishment, one you should be proud of."

"Really?" Tim asked, turning to look at him, then Abby, and then Tony.

"Yes," Gibbs confirmed, Ziva and Tony nodding in agreement, the latter still looking shocked.

"Tim," Ziva hesitantly spoke, "One thing that confuses me."

"Yes, Ziva?" he asked, wondering what the problem was.

"Abby says that you've been lying to all us, since you started working here. Why would she say that?"

"I…" Tim paused, blushing. "Probably for the same reason I said it didn't matter. I had finished my dissertation and all the revisions they requested, and it was accepted before I joined Gibbs' team. I had earned my degree at that point," he admitted, not wanting to explain everything he had done to earn his degree, knowing that Gibbs wouldn't have the patience to listen. He was actually pretty surprised that Gibbs was so patient with him and this ongoing situation.

Tony leaned back in his chair, "It only took you _two years_ to get your doctorate?" he asked incredulously.

"Over two and a half," Tim corrected. "Actually, I think working in the field while I pursuing it made it easier. I had plenty of material and references available to help me. As I expected, FLETC overlapped what my classes were about, which seemed to make both easier," he explained.

Tony just groaned and closed his eyes.

"Abby?" Gibbs asked, looking at the girl in question.

"Yes, Gibbs?" she innocently asked, cringing at the glare he sent her way.

"We good? This good?" he asked.

"He still should have mentioned it," she huffed.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"How would it have made a difference?" the older man asked.

"It would've been the difference between lying and telling the truth."

"For the last time, I didn't lie," Tim stated firmly. "I didn't lie on my application, because I hadn't even thought of obtaining a doctorate at that point. I didn't lie to you guys; Yes, I didn't mention it, but I had no cause to do so; besides it wasn't like you or they _had_ to know about it," he finished, glaring at her. "Yes, we were dating during that time, and later we were friends, but that doesn't mean you have to know everything about me, just like I am sure I don't know everything about you."

Tim paused for a moment as a thought came to him. He suspected the answer, but couldn't be sure since it did take her so long to fin out, "By the way, how did you find out about it anyway?"

At his question, all eyes turned towards Abby.

"Um, I read about it somewhere?" she offered hesitantly.

Gibbs glared at her before looking at everyone else and shaking his head in an order not to pursue that topic.

"McGee established that there was no reason or opportunity for his to mention it and I agree," Gibbs informed the room. "Mentioning it just for the sake of mentioning it would've caused more trouble than this," he said, looking pointedly at Tony.

"It was not a condition of him becoming a member of this team, so again, he had no cause to mention it. It was part of his life, started and apparently, finished," he added dryly, "Before he joined our team, _five years ago_ ," he stressed. "He is the same Special Agent Timothy McGee you knew before this situation arose.

"This matter is closed," he stated, looking pointedly at Abby, "Understood?"

"Of course, Boss."

"Certainly, Gibbs."

"Yes, Gibbs." Came the varying replies, the last more hesitant.

He nodded as he looked around the room, "Good. You are all dismissed," he said, before motioning to Tim with his eyes to stay. "Abby, I want you to get down to your lab and stay there. I'll be down in your lab in as soon as can, and that sign better be off the door."

"What sign?" Tim asked curiously, as Abby avoided his eyes and rushed out of the conference room, Tony and Ziva following her.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked, not responding to his inquiry.

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine," Tim replied to his boss.

"This shouldn't have happened," Gibbs began.

"I know," Tim sighed in resignation. "I should've told her," Tim admitted, lowering his head to stare at the table. "Ouch!" he replied, looking up his boss in response to the head slap he just received.

"Not on you. On her," he clarified. "First, how she found out about it, then how she acted. I will address both issues with her," he informed Tim, before adding, "I can understand if you feel that you are unable to work with her."

"I…boss?" Tim asked nervously, not sure what the older man meant.

"You were ready to walk out on your job, the job you did all this for, because of her and the situation she caused."

"I-"

Gibbs glared at Tim until he fell silent. "I wouldn't want to see that happen. I don't want that to happen," he admitted. "If you feel like you cannot work with her, we will come up with a way to minimize contact between the two of you," Gibbs promised.

"I…can I think about it?" Tim asked, still trying to process everything that happened, as well how he felt about it. Ugh, he thought, he still had to deal with his teammates reactions as well.

Gibbs nodded.

"One question for you," Gibbs asked, looking at Tim and not continuing until the younger man looked up at him and nodded in response, "When I mentioned that Abby seemed to have a problem with your education, you didn't mention the doctorate. How come?"

The implied question of whether or not he was trying to hide it was obvious.

"Uh, boss," Tim began hesitantly, bracing himself for the expected head slap, "You mentioned that she had a problem with MIT, so that's what I responded to. I wasn't surprised that she mentioned MIT when she was mad at me. Abby has always been touchy about my degree in Computer _Forensics_ ," Tim admitted. "She feels that forensics is her field, even if my degree is in a specialized area. The MIT thing comes up a whenever she's mad at me, regardless of why she's mad."

Gibbs paused as he reviewed their earlier conversation. McGee had a point, he did specifically about MIT. Still, "And you never thought to mention your doctorate during our conversation? You mentioned John Hopkins."

" _You_ mentioned John Hopkins," Tim corrected, before blushing. "And, no. It's in my file, has been since I joined the team," Tim admitted. "I updated the paperwork for HR after I received my doctorate, right before I got appointed to your team. As I told you, I knew Abby had access to the files and more specifically, that she's read mine. I didn't give it another thought."

"Why not?" At Tim's puzzled look, Gibbs clarified, "Why didn't you give it another thought? It hasn't been mentioned in the five years you've had it and been with us."

Tim shrugged, "I guess I sometimes forget I have it. I mean, I use the skills I learned when I earned my MIT degrees the most here, so that is what I focus on," Tim gave a mocking laugh, "I really haven't had a chance to use most of what I learned when going for my doctorate. Hell, I've used my Biomed knowledge more as well, and that's something I didn't think would come in handy at all after I got it and decided to pursue a career as a field agent."

Gibbs nodded, understanding his agent's reasoning, something that also needed to be addressed and changed.

"Okay, then. Why don't you head home."

"Boss?"

"Do you really think you're going to get much done?" he asked.

"Uh, won't that just be putting everything off until tomorrow? Giving everyone more time to dwell on it?"

"Nope," Gibbs smirked in reply. "I plan on talking to them before they leave today."

"Oh."

"Give me at least half an hour to pull them into Abby's lab, then you can grab your stuff and head out," he ordered opening the door.

"Er, boss," Tim began hesitantly, causing Gibbs to pause, "Um, Ziva and Tony, well, you know that they didn't do anything wrong, right?"

"I know." Gibbs nodded, "I'm just gonna make sure it stays that way."

* * *

Okay, so I hoped you liked the explanation of how, when, and why Tim earned his degrees (especially the doctorate). I didn't want to write a long narrative paragraph about how that happened, so he briefly mentioned some details and moved the conversation along.

So what happens now? What does Tony have in store for Tim? Will Abby have to face some consequences? Will this change the MCRT?

6-17-18


	6. Degrees of Truth (Part 16, 17a)

**Not Beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.**

* * *

 **16**

Gibbs glared at the three people standing around Abby's lab.

"As I said earlier, this situation is now done. No questions, comments, accusations, or discussions regarding this situation, not while we are working," Gibbs stated firmly. "That includes texts, emails, and paper airplanes," he continued with a pointed look at Tony, "Off the job, if McGee allows you to ask questions, that is fine, but this will _not_ interfere with our jobs anymore, got it?"

All three agreed in the affirmative. He then turned to Abby. "Since you had no problem dragging everyone into this, I have no problem talking with you about it in front of them," he warned.

He spent a few minutes pacing back and forth before finally stopping and staring at the girl in question. "Love ya, Abs, but you acted worse than a spoiled six year old," he began. "Be glad I'm not treating you the age your actions indicate, otherwise you would be standing in the corner, unable to sit for a long time," he snarled.

"This never should have happened," Gibbs barked. You should have _talked_ to McGee about what you discovered, when you discovered it. Not accuse him of lying to everyone. _Not_ hang signs on the door banishing 'treacherous lying individuals guilty of a federal offense' from entering your lab. Think about what you have done," he ordered, glaring at her. "I have no doubt that more people saw that sign than you intended. You may have ruined the reputation of one of the most honest and forthright individuals we know," he informed her, meeting her eyes.

"Honestly, I don't know if McGee will forgive you, if it was me, I don't think I could," he admitted.

"Federal Offense?" He questioned glaring once more at the Forensic Scientist. "If he had lied on his application, then, yes, that would've been true, but from the way you were carrying one, everyone here was probably convinced that he had kidnapped or murdered someone! McGee has been exonerated from every one of your accusations, Abby. _He_ had done nothing wrong, that includes his application and not disclosing the information to us. Honestly, he did everything right once this situation started," Gibbs admitted. "He privately sought you out numerous times and tried to get you to tell him what was going on and when that didn't work, he put aside the anger and confusion he must've felt and attempted to work with you, for the sake of the case. It was you who didn't meet him in the middle," Gibbs pointed out. "As I told McGee, I do not want to lose him due to this situation."

He paused and looked at his two agents, ignoring the shock displayed on their faces, "The two of you will be the go between for the lab regarding any cases she works on. I do not want to hear one syllable of complaint regarding this. If Tim does not want contact with her, I will not force it. In fact, I will do all that I can to not only keep it to a minimum, but nonexistent if necessary. I will be damned if I lose a great agent because of someone's thoughtless and selfish actions," he concluded before once more turning his glare to the scientist.

"I am especially upset with how you discovered this information," he continued, holding up a hand when all three occupants opened their mouths. "You do not need to know," he informed his agents, not wanting to turn this into an even larger incident than it already was, "Since it is _no longer an issue_ ," he concluded, glaring at Abby once more. "Is it?"

"I…no," she submitted weakly.

"If I _ever_ hear or suspect you of you doing such a thing again, even a _hint_ of it," he stressed, "I will have no qualms letting the Director take any disciplinary actions he sees fit. In fact, I would suggest immediate termination," he stated calmly, his words once more shocking everyone listening. "Got it?"

"Yes, Gibbs," Abby softly agreed.

"Abby, you need to think about how you treat your coworkers and make some changes; something like this cannot, _will not_ , happen again," he informed her. "Until further notice, you will keep a professional attitude towards McGee at all times. No prying into his life; no looking things up on the computer; no tracking his phone or GPS; no discussion about anything, even if it is work, unless McGee invites it. You will not initiate contact with him, even if it is work related, unless he does so first."

"Gibbs, I'm sorry," Abby rushed to say before the older man could continue.

The look in his eyes lightened slightly. "I am sure you are," Gibbs agreed. "The more important question is: will you learn your lesson?"

 **17a**

About a half hour after Gibbs left the conference room, Tim returned to the bullpen. He noticed some glances cast his way, but no one said anything, not even a greeting, something Tim thought was odd. Keeping his head down, he finally arrived at his desk and sat down, only to jump back up in surprise. Turning around he looked at his chair and gave a small laugh. Placed on the cushion was a stethoscope. Suspecting that it was placed there by Tony, he laid it on the older man's desk with a note stating 'Thanks for the gift, but I'm not that kind of doctor. I suggest you return this to Ducky before he notices it missing or needs it.'

As soon as the other three members of the team returned to the bullpen, Gibbs was the first to notice the stethoscope and glared at Tony.

"I…it was before your talk," he tried to explain. Gibbs nodded, he couldn't hold Tony accountable for his actions when nothing was said to prevent them before. "Boss," Tony began, "He seemed okay with it," he stated, after reading the note Tim left, passing it over to be read by Gibbs and Ziva.

"And?"

"And well, we can't really pretend that this never happened, that we don't know about his doctorate, so I was thinking," Tony began before explaining the idea that popped into his mind when he read the note.

* * *

I hope you guys like Gibbs' confrontation with Abby. As upset as Gibbs is, I cannot see him completely destroying Abby.

So what do you guys think Tony has planned for the newly revealed doctor?

This story is coming to an end soon (should definitely be finished on/by my birthday...hmm, perhaps I'll post Saturday & Monday); just the remainder of part 17 and the epilogue (that's if you guys want an epilogue...and if so, what kind of info would you like in it...I have part of it done, but currently, it's about 550 words)

6-20-18


	7. Degrees of Truth (Part 17b)

Not beta'd; standard disclaimer applies.

Well, all that's left after this is the epilogue...

* * *

 **17b**

The next day when Tim arrived at work the first thing he noticed was that he was the last one in. The second thing he noticed was what was on his desk. Sitting dead smack in the middle was a carved wooden model of an old English telephone box painted blue. He couldn't help the laugh that escaped. The only comment he made was, "Unfortunately, I'm not that kind of doctor, either," before getting to work. He moved the Tardis to the corner of his desk, where it was used as decorative paperweight.

He still wondered who the 'gifts' were from. His mind immediately suspected Tony, but both Ziva and Gibbs had an unusual sense of humor. Any of them could be involved, especially since he suspected that they pulled Ducky into the joke, at least, that's where he hoped the stethoscope came from.

He also couldn't imagine Tony putting together the model kit, but then again, for a joke, there was probably no limit the SFA would go to.

The day passed quickly without a word being spoken regarding what they had just learned about their teammate. As Tim left that night, he called out to everyone, "If you mean to indicate veterinarian tomorrow, please remember that I'm allergic to cats." Grinning, he left the building.

On Wednesday he started laughing the moment he saw his desk. Sitting on it was a pair of elf-like ears and a small model spaceship. "You do know that Dr. Spock and Spock from Star Trek are two totally different, er, Spocks, right?" he asked the room, unsurprisingly not getting a response, as his teammates continued to work. Once more, nothing was said about his education.

"Can't wait to see what you think of for tomorrow," he said, before telling everyone goodnight and leaving, Tony and Ziva right behind him.

Thursday found Tim approaching his desk cautiously, as he wondered what was left for him to discover today. Apparently, he wasn't the only one. Eyes from other cubicles on the floor followed him as he made the initial trek from elevator to desk. From the back, his desk and computer looked mostly normal; however, once he sat at his chair, and looked at his computer screen, he noticed that it seemed to be covered in green contact paper and had pen marks resembling stitches were strategically placed on it. There was also two large bolts glued to the sides of the monitor.

"Dr. Frankenstein, I presume?" Tim asked, "You know, this," he said, pointing to his computer screen, "is actually Frankenstein's monster, not the doctor himself." None of his teammates gave any indication that he heard them as they set to work. "Of course, if I get upset, I could threaten to act like Dr. Frankenstein," he mused quietly, as he too got to work, not surprised that his degree was a tabooed topic within the team.

Deciding that if you can't beat them, join them, he chose to turn the tables on them on Friday. He stepped off the elevator, greeted by silence. As he walked to his desk, he could feel the stares. Most of this week, at least, since 'the diagnosis', he had been the last team member in. No doubt because they all wanted to watch his reaction to the presents left on his desk. Today, he made a determined effort to be in before most of them. He suspected that Gibbs would be in, after all, it often appeared that the older man never slept and rarely went home. He calmly sat at his desk after putting his bag on the floor and his coffee on his desk. Feeling his boss's gaze on him, he looked up and gave a wry grin, receiving a smirk and a cheers gesture in return.

A laughing Tony and Ziva made it into the bullpen fifteen minutes later, neither one noticing Tim at his desk. It was only when Tony headed there to place today's 'gift' on the desk that that fact changed. "What the…" Tony muttered as he looked at his fellow agent.

Ziva finally noticed him and blinked. "Who are you?" she asked curiously.

Tim, sitting in his chair, was wearing a white buttoned down shirt under an opened black jacket, a red bow tie around his neck, and a red and white striped hat on his head, just looked at her and grinned, "My favorite 'doctor' from my childhood," he finally replied.

"Dr. Seuss," Tony muttered, palming his own forehead. "And yesterday you reminded me of Dr. Watson," he paused, shaking his head, "How could I have forgotten those two doctors?"

Tim laughed, "Well, you did think Spock and Dr. Spock were the same."

"Hey, that was a last minute substitution," he explained. "And it's all your fault. After you made that comment about vets, there was no way I could do what I had planned."

"Oh, god, you had something with cat hair," Tim groaned.

"No, McGenius," he retorted, "I just couldn't let you think that I used your idea rather than one of my own."

"Yeah, and Spock worked out so much better for you," Tim grinned.

"Hey, you got it, at least," Tony grinned back.

"Do you even know who Dr. Spock is?"

"I…apparently not," Tony admitted sheepishly. "Just be glad I decided against using Dr. Ruth."

"More like had that option vetoed," Ziva corrected.

"Oh, thank god. Thank you, Ziva, I owe you," he sincerely informed his teammate who waved dismissively at him.

"Hey, you're not talking in rhymes," Tony complained.

"Trust me, it would get old very quickly," Tim commented dryly.

Tony grinned, "Still, you did good, McDoc."

"McDoc, huh?" Tim repeated, a slow smile developing on his face. "I can handle that."

Tony snorted and warned, "Don't get to comfortable, you know this gives me a new arsenal of nicknames."

Tim frowned, not sure what Tony meant, "What do you mean?"

Tony smiled, "I mean, I'm not limited to McNicknames any more."

"Huh?" a confused Tim replied.

"Nope," a gleeful Tony shared. "I now have a bunch of Doc and Doctor Nicknames at my disposal."

Tim groaned and leaned back in his chair, catching Gibbs' smirk and gaze. Not like he was really able to do anything about it anyway.

"Hey!" Gibbs shouted, forcing his agents to sheepishly turn towards him.

"Yeah, we're getting to work," Tony answered, sure that is what the boss was going to say.

Gibbs smirked, "Might be hard to do with that in your hand," he said, nodding to the wrapped present Tony held.

"Oh, right, almost forgot," Tony said, after looking down at his hands. "For you," he said, holding the item out to Tim.

"I…why?"

Tony shrugged, "Consider it a belated graduation gift," he returned. "Just take it."

"It's wrapped," Tim stated.

"Really Dr. Obvious?" Tony smirked.

"Nothing else has been wrapped," Tim said, slowly peeling back to the paper. "Why this one?"

Another shrug was the only reply he received.

Tim smiled after he finished unwrapping the present, and looked down at the two items. Both of them were movies, unsurprising given who they were from.

"Each features one of the greatest and most famous Doctors the Silver Screen has ever created," Tony supplied. "Both with long, successful, prosperous careers."

"You'll have to come over and join me to watch them," Tim offered, understanding why Tony picked these movies. "Ziva as well."

Tony nodded, "You know if we do that, we'll be asking lots of questions," he warned.

Tim grinned, "And if you still have more questions, we can watch the sequels," he offered, indicating that he was fine with that and in fact, expected it.

"Hey!" Gibbs called again.

"Right, work," Tony stated, as both he and Ziva moved to their desks.

* * *

So, I hoped you all enjoyed that and Tony's antics. True to his word, he didn't say anything about Tim's education and degrees, even refrained from calling him Dr anything until Friday :)

Only epilogue is next.

So, what two movies do you think Tony gave McGee?

6-23-18


	8. Degrees of Truth (Epilogue)

Not Beta'd; Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

 **18** **EPILOGUE**

That afternoon, after Tony's constant harassment, or as he called it, encouragement, Tim went down to Autopsy to visit and 'introduce' himself to his fellow doctor and doctor to be. Five minutes after he entered autopsy, Tony followed, Ziva right behind him. Tim was surprised to see them, did they get a case? Was that why they were down here? After all, they knew Tim was going down to autopsy, so why didn't they join him in the elevator?

Tony grinned as he entered, nodding to Ducky, he greeted, "Doctor," before turning to Tim, "Doctor," and finally Jimmy, "Doctor to be," he concluded, motioning with his hand to Ziva to speak. With a roll of her eyes, she mimicked Tony's greeting, whose smile got wider with each word uttered, making it clear why Tony had insisted he head down there and why he and Ziva followed.

Picking up his cue, Tim continued, "Doctor, Doctor to be," he said, turning first to Ducky, then Jimmy, when he turned to Ziva and Tony, he just nodded a greeting, not speaking.

"Doctor, Doctor," Jimmy joined in, also smiling.

As one, they all turned to Ducky, "Oh, for…fine, Doctor, Doctor to be," he finished.

"Okay, back to work now," Tony called, as he ushered Ziva out of autopsy.

"Wasn't expecting that," Jimmy commented after they left.

Tim snorted, "I wonder how long Tony's been wanting to do that."

"A better question is _why_ he wanted to do that," Ducky commented dryly, before redirecting the conversation to Timothy's degrees and a long-winded story regarding the history of the doctorate degree.

That weekend, the four agents, along with Ducky and Palmer, went out for drinks to celebrate Tim's 'graduation'. Tim had tried to back out, letting them know that it wasn't necessary, however, Tony was adamant. He reminded Tim that he should be proud of his accomplishments and that now that everyone knows, there was no reason to hide it.

And it seemed like everyone did know. Word had quickly spread throughout the building, that Special Agent McGee had earned his doctorate. Of course, the team's 'doctor' jokes left on McGee's desk probably had a hand in that. Unknown to most of the NCIS staff, however, was that this was actually accomplished five years ago. Tim asked the team not to mention that detail as he just accepted the congratulations sent his way. To Tim's surprise, he was actually sought out by a few agents who were thinking of added to their education.

Abby's actions did have consequences. Gibbs was right about the sign on the door, something McGee still hadn't learned the specifics of, since everyone was warned not to talk about it. The director suspended Abby for two weeks, one week with pay, one without, after an investigation by Internal Affairs was conducted. Since Abby was careful not to use anyone's name in the note, it was only suspected that she was referring to McGee, not proven. Neither Gibbs nor Tim mentioned how they suspected Abby learned of the information, partly because there was no proof and partly because neither one of them truly wanted the Forensic Scientist gone from NCIS, so she did not have to face consequences from the Director regarding that. Gibbs, did, however, ask McGee if he could 'block' her computer from accessing that information in the future.

However, it still took about three months for interactions to return to something resembling normal between the MCRT and lab personnel.

For most of those three months, Tim avoided Abby and the Lab. Surprisingly, Tony and Ziva seemed to avoid it as well, at least when they could, since they were the ones Gibbs sent down there.

It had only been in the past few weeks that Tim and Abby have started talking. Abby gave a half-hearted apology that first week, which Tim accepted. He had realized that Abby no longer had the hold on him that she used to and her opinion of him no longer mattered. For a while, that only seemed to make interactions between them tenser, since Abby seemed to resent that. Slowly, they had settled into a professional and, for the first time, Tim, realized, a mutually respectful relationship. Recently it seemed like they had gained back some of their old camaraderie.

Tim, Ziva, and Tony did watch the movies (and the sequels). Tim held true to his word and answered almost all the questions the two came up with. The three had never been on better terms and often found opportunities to spend time together outside of work.

Gibbs' attitude toward him seemed to change as well. The older man asked and _listened_ to his opinions regarding cases, and not just regarding the technical aspects of them. To Tim, it also seemed like he was in the field more often than before, a big plus as far as he was concerned. He still did computer searches, and hacked into files, providing he had a 'get out of jail free' card, but that was no longer how he spent the majority of his time.

Tim was actually amazed by their behavior these last few months. One of the reasons he had been hesitant to inform his team about his doctorate was because of the teasing he expected. After all, with five degrees, one of them a doctorate, could he be any geekier? And yes, Tony did follow through on his threat of Doctor or Doc nicknames, but, Tim realized, they weren't said to be cruel. In fact, it seemed his teammates respected and appreciated him more now than they had previously.

And at least once a week, when Tim was called on to give an update on a case, Tony would jokingly ask, 'What's up Doc?'

Sometimes Tim wondered what it would've been liked if he had shared the information regarding his degrees with his coworkers, either when it first happened or at any point during the previous five years and if the result would've been the same, minus the drama from Abby, of course. He was pretty confident that it wouldn't have been. He suspected that it would've been a very different atmosphere that day, compared to the conversation that took place in the conference room. Gibbs, who never seemed to have much use or respect for education, had really surprised him that day, telling him that he should be proud of his degrees. Abby making such a huge deal about it, and in such a dramatic way, seemed to make them stop and think about Tim, his strengths, weaknesses, and exactly what he added to the team.

Overall, the MCRT learning his secret had become a good thing. Perhaps Tim owed Abby more than he realized.

* * *

Wow! It's actually done/complete. Some people thought Gibbs was too harsh on Abby, some that he was too light. Many wanted he team (esp Tim) and Abby to be okay. I liked the idea of what if Tim _had_ left NCIS, not willing to work with Abby, but that wasn't the point of this story (not that there really was a point, but I think you get what I mean). Abby didn't completely get away with things, but she was smart enough to protect herself from any serious consequences (And warned not to be so unprofessional in the future).

So, do you think Tim thanked Abby for her dramatic actions? Do you think Abby did it on purpose?

 _ **Movies/Doctors-I said the movies featured doctors, not necessarily that the word Dr was in the title (What can I say, I'm a child of the 80's).**_

 ** _Back to the Future, Doctor Emmett Brown_**

 ** _Indiana Jones series (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones_**

 **You guys really know your doctors! The reviews I got that mentioned all of them were incredible! There were many that I had wanted to include as well, but I only had 5 days, which is why I had Tim as Dr. Seuss and Tony giving him two movies. Originally, I had the stethoscope on the chair on Tuesday, but luckily found it worked better on Monday (not only because it gave me an extra 'doctor' to use), with Tony starting the gag before Gibbs talked with him.**

I did think of Tony using Dr (Indiana) Jones for a day, (leaving a hat, a whip, and a snake on Tim's desk, but knew Tony wouldn't have been able to restrain himself from making jokes about the whip, which probably would've a) upset Tim rather than encourage him or b) caused Gibbs to be annoyed and kill Tony via blunt force trauma to head (Gibbs' slap).

I wanted to use Dr. Strange as one of the doc's Tony used, but he wasn't as well known in 2009 (when story takes place) as he is now.

As for Dr. Doolittle, that was the scene Tony was going to stage when Tim made his vet/cat hair comment; Tony was trying to use as many different 'types' of doctors as he could.

In honor of my birthday, I decided to post updates for all my current fics throughout the day :)

6-25-18


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